AGRA Watch

Is Philanthropy the Enemy of Justice?

Editor — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 21:08:28 +0000

Philanthropists pushing GM crops in developing countries claim to be providing food security, but many of the local peoples these projects are intended to help want nothing to do with GM crops. Unfortunately, philanthropists are the ones with the money, so they are the ones who make the decisions. In this sense, philanthropy does not necessarily mean justice.

Gates defends focus on High-Tech Agriculture

Editor — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:01:36 +0000

We have been asked a million times why he comes down on the side of hi-tech–here’s his answer. AW has analyzed his fallacies.

Land-grabbing continues to threaten local peoples and food security

Editor — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:31:35 +0000

Partner organization The Oakland Institute published a report in 2009 detailing what they describe as a “land rush,” or the fervent rush of private investors involved in land-grabbing in Africa. Investors from all over the world are lured to Africa by the promise of cheap and productive land with which they can grow food for export. All of this comes at the expense of the local people, many of which have been relocated to new villages with little to no resources available with which to grow food.

Read Oakland Institute’s report here:

http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/great-land-grab-rush-world%E2%80%99s-farmland-threatens-food-security-poor

A recent example of this behavior can be found in Ethiopia, where the government is currently leasing out 3.6 million hectares to foreign investors, and many indigenous people are being removed from their homes. While the Ethiopian government denies “forcing” anyone from their homes because the land being leased is “uninhabited,” investigations done by US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) show that the current residents of the land never had a formal title, which allows the government to bypass laws that would protect these populations from relocation.

CAGJ and AGRA-Watch members on Envoye Special

Editor — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:54:31 +0000

Last year two CAGJ & AGRA Watch members were interviewed for the French version of 60 minutes, Envoye Special, for a program focused on the Gates Foundation’s support of GMOs and partnerships with Monsanto. The showed aired last week, and you can watch part of it in this clip (and understand it if you know French)! Unfortunately the interview with CAGJ was cut, but it’s a great expose! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QYQip7Zm6M&feature=youtube_gdata

Debaters on the Diane Rhem Show discuss labeling GE Foods

Editor — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 17:57:29 +0000

The US is currently the world leader in genetically engineered crop production. Listen to debaters

Thomas Redick from the Global Environmental Ethics Counsel; Gardiner Harris, a science reporter for The New York Times; and Gary Hirshberg, president of Stonyfield Farm, Inc discuss whether the FDA should repeal its decision from 1992 and begin to require labels on genetically modified foods. This national labeling campaign is supported by CAGJ as it allows consumers to have the choice to boycott GE foods.

Listen to the show here:

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-01-03/environmental-outlook-labels-genetically-modified-foods

Leading scientist says agroecology is the only way to feed the world

Editor — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:19:45 +0000

Hans Herren, Ph.D, specializing in sustainable agriculture, participates in an interview offering his opinions about what is most beneficial for the current world food crisis. His conclusion: GMOs are hurting food security especially in Africa, and the focus should instead be on new and participatory research into sustainable agricultural practices which can then be passed down to local farmers.

Read the interview here:

http://www.nongmoreport.com/articles/december2011/scientistsaysagroecologyfeedsworld.php

Tanzania Farmers say No to GMOs

Editor — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:55:52 +0000

Tanzania farmers are placing pressure on the government to work with local seeds instead of succumbing to multinational corporations and switching to GMOs. Small scale farmers claim that the focus should be on improving indigenous seeds, which will have a better chance of improved harvest than their GMO counterparts. This dialogue, organised by the Network of Small Scale Farmers in Tanzania (Mviwata) has already attracted over 200 participants countrywide.

Land-grabbing influenced more by Biofuels than Food

Editor — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 23:23:09 +0000

In Africa, new studies conclude that biofuels influence 66% of land-grabbing purchases, higher than previously thought, with food

influencing only 15%. Land-grabbing has put many rural livelihoods in jeopardy as soils are degraded and promises of jobs are not
materialized. There has also been an increase in ‘flex’ crops in land grabbing deals, which could be used for biofuels or food,
depending on what the market favors at the moment.

”Climate-Smart Agriculture” reminiscent of Gates ideas

Editor — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:01:52 +0000

African land and agriculture are being viewed as a sort of last ‘frontier,’ and many schemes are being put forth (largely by non-Africans) to solve big problems by utilizing them; one can clearly see the Gates ideas in this light.

The Durban talks brought forth the idea of “climate-smart agriculture” in Africa, a plan designed to offset carbon emissions by making crops less vulnerable to heat and drought and turning depleted soils into carbon sinks. This,supporters say, can generate carbon credits which can be sold to industrial polluters who want to offset their emissions. However, critics argue that this will marginalize smallholder farmers in Africa by turning their soil into a carbon commodity, from which they will be unable to pocket any income from the sale of the carbon absorbed by their soils.

Like father like son? Not so fast. Howard Buffett warns the Gates Foundation approach to farming is unsustainable.

Editor — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 16:35:00 +0000

Warren Buffett’s Son Disagrees With Bill Gates

December 12, 2011, 8:21 AM ET

http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2011/12/12/warren-buffetts-son-disagrees-with-bill-gates/

By Shira Ovide

Deal Journal already brought you some of the juicy tidbits from Howard Buffett’s interview last night on “60 Minutes.” But we were struck last night by the revelation of philosophical disagreements between Warren Buffett’s son and Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder and Warren Buffett’s close buddy.

Howard Buffett has plowed some of his Buffett fortune into promoting sustainable farming techniques in poor countries. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — which has been handed $31 billion of Warren Buffett’s money — has turned its considerable charitable funds to help poor farmers in Africa. Howard Buffett thinks some of the Gates Foundation’s approach is doomed to fail, he told “60 Minutes.”

Buffett says the Gates Foundation approach is to focus on high-tech farming techniques including hybrid seeds and synthetic fertilizers that aren’t sustainable in poor countries. “We need to quit thinking about trying to do it like we do it in America,” Howard Buffett said about the farming programs underway at the Gates . “At some point those guys are going to go home and the money going to not be there.”

“I’m not saying it’s all wrong,” Howard Buffett said. “Bill Gates is the smartest guy in the world, next to my dad.”